Courage Of The Heart
by JassyIsClassy
Summary: A desperate mother is willing to do whatever it takes to save her dying daughter's life, even when she is left with nothing but the courage of her heart.


**Smalljaw **= **Compsognathus**

**Longtail **= **Coelophysis**

* * *

**Courage ****of ****the ****Heart**

The female smalljaw's fiery orange eyes glowed with anger, and if looks could kill, she would have burned a hole through her mate's head by now. However, the male smalljaw was firm and unflinching, standing his ground.

"I said no," he affirmed in a voice that seemed to grow sterner as he continued to speak, "It's too dangerous. What if you're caught by a fast biter? You won't stand a chance!"

"That's never stopped me before," she rebuffed, raising a brow as she whipped her tail in a quick, slashing movement, "And I didn't think that I would ever need to tell you this, but apparently, I do. You're my _mate_, Sena. Not my mother."

Sena huffed, sounding almost defeated but still willing to put up a fight. "Well. I didn't exactly need a reminder, but thank you, Arai. I appreciate it." He sounded so calm and nonchalant that it was hard to tell whether or not he was being sarcastic.

Arai gave a huff of her own. pacing around the dirt floor of their home, located in a small cave in a corner of the forest. The light from outside shone on her fern green scales as she walked around in circles, creating a beautiful show of sparkling green dots on the cave walls. Then, she stopped.

"Whatever," she finally said, swiveling her head towards him, "I don't care how dangerous it is, I'm going to go see Sorrel. Dena's life depends on it."

"For crying out loud," Sena muttered, "Dena will be fine. I don't need you risking your tail for no reason!" He breathed in, and then out, "She'll be fine. I promise you, she'll be fine."

"You don't know that. You don't know anything, except what you choose to believe. You're scared, so you somehow managed to convince yourself that our daughter will be okay, and that she doesn't need any medicine to help her get better!" Her face contorted into a painful expression, and she looked both confused and visibly hurt, as if she didn't understand why he was so adamant about making her suffer like this.

"I don't believe that," Sena replied, his voice recognizably softer, the anger suddenly vanishing from his sky blue eyes, "All I said was that Dena would be alright, nothing more."

"How?" Arai questioned, "How could you possibly know that she's going to be alright? Can you see into the future or something? If you can, then I might just consider listening to whatever nonsense you're spouting."

Sena swallowed a lump in his throat he didn't even know was there. "Well…I don't. But I know that no matter what happens, everything will work out just the way it's supposed to."

"That's not enough for me." Arai stumbled backwards. "I'm sorry. I'd never be able to forgive myself if something happened to Dena and I did nothing to stop it from happening."

"That won't happen," Sena insisted, although he sounded more like he was begging her, "We'll get through this. Just please don't go out there. " Maybe he was being a bit selfish, thinking of his mate rather than his own child, but he'd never be able to raise them without her.

"Sena, there's no way in the world you could possibly know that. I don't know how many times I'll have to tell you, and I don't understand why you won't just let me go— it won't even take that long, I'll go see Sorrel, get what I need and then come home!"

"Because it's just not worth the risk." Sena used every ounce of his willpower to maintain his composure. He'd look like a fool if he just let his emotions spill out. "There's no reason for you to..."

Arai placed her hands on her hips, clenching her jaw. "No reason for me to what?"

Sena clenched his hands into tight fists, looking down towards the ground. He never was the argumentative type; that was his mate. The day he actually won an argument with her would be the day he was six feet under.

After what felt like forever, he finally faced her again. Arai glared at him, impatiently expecting an answer. Sena clenched his fists tighter. He winced, and then let out a huge breath. "...Look, we'll talk about this later. Right now I have to—"

"There's nothing to talk about," Arai interrupted, her voice flat. "Just because you're my mate, that doesn't mean you're allowed to tell me what I can and can't do, especially when it comes to our children." She sucked in a breath, her voice beginning to crack, "We should be working with each other, not against."

"That's what I'm saying, Arai!" Sena finally unclenched his fists, his eyes wide as he spread his arms apart, gesturing with his hands, "We should wait until we've both calmed down, and then talk about this. Together."

Arai's chest rose as a sigh of disgust escaped her mouth. She then shook her head. "This is going _nowhere_," she murmured, not even bothering to spare him a glance as she headed towards the mouth of the cave.

"Arai?" Sena steadily approached his mate, but she only backed further away. When he realized this, Sena froze and planted his feet firmly on the ground. "Arai! Wait! Please don't do this. Honestly, you're taking this poor thing a bit too far. Listen, I'll find some food, feed Cori and Mako and— and then we can talk, okay?"

A look of shock briefly crossed over Arai's face before she narrowed her eyes, scowling. "_I'm_ taking it a bit too far?" She motioned to herself, touching her claw to her chest, "You're one to talk— you're not taking it anywhere at all!"

Sena cringed. His manner of articulating his thoughts was…not the best. "Okay, I'm sorry, that came out wrong. I meant to say that—"

"I don't care what you _meant_ to say!" Arai felt her vision turn bleary as tears budded in her eyes. She was now actively distancing herself from him, backing towards the slight incline that led to the front of the cave. "You already said exactly what you were thinking!" She inhaled sharply, "All you ever do is tell me I'm wrong! You always say that I'm not thinking straight or I'm overreacting and maybe I am, but that's because I care. At least it's better than not caring at all!"

Ouch. That stung pretty bad, mostly because everything she said was true. He was always rebuffing her ideas, never really listening to what she had to say, and it had made things between them rather strained to say the least.

And now, Sena couldn't even think of anything to say that could possibly make it better. Deep down there was so much he wanted to say to her, but at that moment, his mind had gone completely blank. All he could do was stare.

Arai couldn't believe him. She'd practically poured out her heart to him, and all he could do was stare at her like an idiot. Maybe she'd made the wrong choice by choosing to mate with him. She'd been thinking it for a while, but didn't want to believe it herself. However, now, she had no choice but to accept the facts.

"I'm tired. I can't put up with this anymore," she said coldly, her voice sharp like pointed icicles. Then, without even a single word or a final pained glance in her mate's direction, Arai scurried out of the cave.

"Arai! ARAI!" She heard him call, his voice filled with desperation, pleading with her to return. But no matter how desperate he sounded, it didn't make any difference to Arai. She ignored him. She was going to see Sorrel and get that medicine, even if it was the last thing she did.

* * *

Right outside of the cave, a young smalljaw was leaning against the wall, listening intently to sound of yelling and arguments being thrown back and forth. He looked rather intrigued, his bright orange eyes wide with a curiosity that only a child could possess.

"Gee, mom sounds really mad," he remarked out loud, "I wonder what they were fighting about in the first place."

Lying a few feet away was another smalljaw, watching the sky for any buzzers that might come flying her way. "Mako, you're not helping anything by eavesdropping on them. And if mom catches you, she's going to be even _more_ angry."

Just then, almost as if on cue, Arai appeared. She crawled out of the opening, balancing herself on her haunches. "Children," she said breathlessly, "There you are."

"Mom, what's going on?" Mako asked, "Are you gonna rip dad a new one?"

"Mako!" Cori reprimanded, her voice a soft whisper. "Shut up!" She hit him on the back of the head, scowling menacingly.

Arai groaned helplessly as she brought a hand to her forehead. "I thought I told you two to stop listening in on our private conversations. It's very rude."

"It was Mako," Cori informed her mother as she scooted upwards onto a flat stump. She offered a good natured smile and a brief nod of her head.

"Hmph." Mako crossed his arms and huffed, "_Tattletale_."

"Well, it doesn't matter." Arai sighed heavily as she rose to her feet, placing one foot in front of the other. As she took a step, she glanced back. "I have something very important to do and I don't know when I'll be back."

Mako suddenly perked up. "Oh! You can count on me, mom!"

Cori scoffed, and leaned slightly back. "If mom ever counted on you, I don't think the house would still be standing."

Mako didn't have a response, so he simply scrunched up his nose and stuck out his tongue.

"Children, please! I'm counting on you." She looked at Mako, "Both of you. I need you to look after things while I'm gone."

"Yes, mother," Cori responded with a little smile. Then, her smile fell. "...Mother? You are coming back, aren't you?"

"Of course I'll come back, sweetheart. I would never leave you." She cupped her daughter's face, "Although...if I don't return...please take care of your father and your little sister for me."

Anything could happen at any time, and she had always prepared her children for that possibility. However, now, it seemed plausible that she might have to leave her family for some other reason aside from the forces of nature. Then, she saw her children's bewildered faces, and tried to remove the latter scenario from her mind. "Never mind that. Just...you two behave yourselves, alright? I'll be back soon."

And with that, she was off. She ran into broad daylight, heading towards the open fields.

* * *

Sorrel lived in an old log, sunken halfway into the ground. It was rather easy to find, and for that, Arai was thankful. As she peered through the grass, she could recognize it instantly. She looked left, and then right. Once assured that all was clear, she darted across the pond in a flurry of water and foam. Being in such an open area was risky; there was no doubt in Arai's that a starving predator on the prowl could pounce on her at any given second, but it was a small price to pay for a chance to save her daughter's life.

Rushing through the overgrown blades of slowly dying grass, she leaped onto the log's surface. Her claws digging into the aged bark, she carefully began climbing, taking it slow. Step by step, step by step…

Once at the entrance, she leaned over and peered inside from the top of the log. All she could see was darkness, which wasn't very helpful in determining if the healer was present there or not. As much as she hated to enter without permission, she had to. Sorrel would understand. Or at least, she liked to think he would.

Arai hopped down, slowly edging inside. The dark shadows began to cover her body, blocking out the light from outside. Her eyes roamed around the inside of the log, searching. "Hello? Sorrel?"

She then heard a muffled voice coming from somewhere, but she couldn't quite make it out. She inched forward. "Sorrel!" She looked around once more, "Sorrel? Is anybody home?"

"_Go_ _away_!" Replied a distant voice. Still, Arai couldn't quite lay her claw on where it was coming from.

"Sorrel?" She carefully slid downwards, a small slither of regret making it's way into her mind.

"_What_ _is_ _it_?" The voice sounded more frustrated this time, practically yelling at her. However, as Arai reached a slight curve where a dirt tunnel began, she felt more secure in her movements, as she recognized the voice as Sorrel's.

"Sorrel, may I please speak with you?"

"_WHAT_?"

"I said, may I please speak—" Hearing footsteps behind her she suddenly turned around, letting out a soft gasp when she saw Sorrel forcing his way out of one of the tunnels. She gave a sigh of relief, bringing her hands to her chest. "Oh, good— I'm so glad you're home."

Sorrel was an old, rather chubby smalljaw who had seen more of life than he'd actually care to admit. He was a recluse, keeping to himself and rarely speaking unless spoken to. If he was feeling up to it, that was.

Producing a grunt of effort, he hauled himself up onto solid ground, hardly noticing that he knocked some dust into the other dinosaur's eyes. "Ugh. I must be getting old," he grumbled to himself, "I can barely remember which tunnel leads where anymore."

"That's a shame," Arai replied, making an attempt to strike up conversation. She watched silently as he turned around, preparing to burrow through yet another tunnel. "Excuse me. I'm sorry for intruding—"

"That's quire alright," Sorrel replied without looking at her, "Now off with you."

Arai chuckled nervously, fidgeting with her claw. "Um— Sorrel?"

Sorrel paused, and whirled around. "Great ancestors, woman, what do you _WANT_?"

Arai wanted so badly to tell him off for his tone, but right now, Dena's life hung in the balance. So, she curbed her tongue. "Sorrel, look," she began to say, "I know you don't like visitors, and I know you're very busy, but please— this is an emergency."

Sorrel sighed in frustration. "What could possibly be so urgent that you needed to talk to me, of all dinosaurs?"

"It's my daughter, Dena," Arai explained, "She's sick."

"Dena? The smellblind one? Well, it's not like she hasn't been ill before. Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and—"

"No!" Arai exclaimed, stomping her foot. "No, she's really sick! I'm begging you, Sorrel, please— just— I'll never bother you again, but I can't lose her...please. Just this once."

"Alright, alright," Sorrel agreed, although begrudgingly, "Don't get your tail in a knot. I'm sure I can fix up something."

A grateful smile spread across Arai's face. "Oh, thank you! Thank you so much…"

Sorrel began walking into a tunnel towards the left of where they were standing. "Follow me, but don't touch anything. Understood?"

"Of course." Arai trailed close behind him, keeping her hands close to herself. "I do appreciate it."

"Yes, yes," Sorrel muttered as the two smalljaws disappeared into the cover of the darkness, "Now, just how sick is she?"

"She's lethargic and doesn't really respond to mine or my mate's voice."

"Hmm...yes. I see."

"There's a raspy sound when she breathes, and she's very pale."

"Is that so? Well..."

As they drew closer to their destination, the pitch darkness began to lift. A few paces later, and Sorrel then led Arai towards an opening with light shining down from the surface.

"Now step inside, but keep your hands to yourself. If these herbs become disorganized, it'll take me ages to get them back in order again."

Arai nodded her head. "I understand."

Sorrel raised a skeptical brow. "Oh, do you?" He huffed and turned away, walking across to the wall, filled with tiny, shallow holes. His eyes briefly scanned each hole as he spoke. "Your daughter has the breathing sickness."

Arai blinked, taken aback. "The breathing sickness?"

"It's not exactly uncommon, but you can die from it." He heaved an exasperated sigh.

Arai could not repress the gasp that escaped her. "Oh, please no."

"She needs the dust flower. It's a plant that grows close to the ground, and it's petals are white and puffy."

Arai peered over his shoulder, trying to get a good look at the numerous compartments. "You don't have it?"

Sorrel snorted contemptuously. "Of course not. If I get anywhere near those confounded flowers, I start sneezing like there's no tomorrow."

Arai held back a frown, although she couldn't help but grit her teeth. The nerve of this old coot— she fought with her mate, risked her life to come all this way, just to be told that he didn't have what she needed.

"However," his voice broke into her thoughts, "You can find them in the fields a bit up north. They're not hard to find, and there's a large abundance of them. You can't miss it."

Arai's face lit up with the slightest ray of hope. She clasped her hands together, her heart lifting. Perhaps this wasn't a complete waste of time after all!

"Once you obtain the flowers," Sorrel continued, "You must shake them— the dust that falls off is the only part that will be useful to you. Mix the dust in some water, and have your daughter drink it."

Arai nodded along to each word he said, carefully absorbing words into her mind. "Oh, bless you—"

"No, bless yourself," He interrupted, "You'll need it. Now, you must excuse me...you know the way out."

"Oh, of course." Sorrel led her to the entrance hole, ushering her through it. As she began to walk out, she turned. "Thank you once again."

"Shoo, shoo," Sorrel continued to grumble, shuffling away, "Go on now."

"Thank you so much," she said as she sauntered out, finding herself once again covered in a cloud of darkness, "Goodbye." He didn't respond, and Arai didn't expect him to. Keeping his instructions in mind, she hurried off to find this so-called dust flower.

* * *

Finding the flowers, as Sorrel had said, was no difficult task. Arai found a bounty of them in the open fields where they seemed to float weightlessly on their stems, almost like a group of small sky puffies. She plucked as many as her arms could carry and left, the bright circle beaming radiantly across the pink and orange evening sky, a soft, gentle breeze whistling through the air. As she headed for home, clutching the flowers to her chest, she entered a hollow log in the middle of a pond. Then, just as she entered, she stopped and listened.

There was a disturbance at the other end; the sound of splashing and frustrated growls. When Arai peered through the opening, she could see a pair of slender legs standing just outside the log. It was a fast biter!

She gasped and stumbled over her own two feet as she fell on her tail, dread overtaking her body. Her heart sank to the pit of her stomach. This was it— she was done for. It would only be a matter of time before it found her, and she wouldn't stand an inkling of a chance. The sound seemed to draw nearer, but Arai couldn't move. Paralyzed by fear, all she could think was that she would never come home, and her family would never know what happened to her.

Then, amidst her terror, she heard something else. Her limbs still trembling, she leaned against the bark. The creature was muttering to itself, and from what Arai could hear, it sounded more panicked rather than thirsty for blood. Curious yet cautious, she climbed up through a hole in the top of the log, approaching from above. As she sat upon the surface, she realized that the sound was not a fast biter, but a longtail biter. They were significantly smaller, but they were also more agile than their larger counterparts.

Peering over the edge of the log, Arai noticed that the green dinosaur's right leg was tangled up in several vines dangling from a tree directly above his head. His left leg, also entangled, was bent and covered in vines, making it difficult for him to keep his balance.

Arai tried to stifle her laughter as she watched the longtail's ridiculous display. He hardly seemed threatening, but one question rang in her mind; where was his pack? If he was here, trapped, then that meant his pack couldn't be too far away. Still…she couldn't think of why an entire pack would waste their energy on killing her. She was small fry compared to some of the other denizens of the forests.

Feeling rather confident, Arai proceeded forward. "Is…Is everything alright here?" She asked, still holding onto the white dust flowers.

"AH!" The longtail shrieked loudly, jumping up in fright only to be suddenly pulled back by the vines coiled around his body. Arai managed to narrowly dodge the torrent of water that splashed everywhere. Then, breathing heavily, the longtail craned his head towards the smalljaw. "Oh—Lady—! Don't sneak up on me like that!"

"Oh, I didn't mean to frighten you. I'm sorry," Arai said apologetically.

The longtail laughed, tossing his head back. "Oh! You didn't frighten me," he chuckled, "I was just...working on strengthening my legs, and you broke my concentration. That's all!"

"You look more like you're all tangled up," Arai responded, hopping to the foot of the log. She gently brushed her claw against one of the vines. "If you were only working, what's all this then?"

The longtail looked down. "Oh, that? That's just to help me practice! In case such a thing actually happens to me in reality, I'll be prepared."

"Oh, alright." Arai let go of the vine, her feet sloshing in the water as she moved through it, her back facing the other dinosaur. "Well, I'll leave you to it. Have a nice day."

The longtail gulped, his heart sinking lower and lower. He watched the smalljaw grow farther away, and no sooner had she walked at least a foot than he hollered. "H-Hey! WAIT!"

Arai froze in her tracks. Then, slowly, she swiveled towards him. "Yes?"

He stared at her for a second, his mouth agape. Then, he closed his eyes in complete and utter shame. "I...I'm stuck! I wasn't actually working out."

Arai brought a hand to her chest, feigning shock as she let out a heavily exaggerated gasp. "No...! Really? You're lying!"

The longtail nodded his head, not catching on to her very obvious sarcasm. "Yes. As much as I hate to admit it, I would appreciate your help."

Arai raised a brow. "How do I know you won't try and eat me?"

"Me? Eat you? Come on, don't make me laugh!" He cackled, "You're like the size of an egg! You'd be a quick snack, at best. I wouldn't waste my energy on you."

"Good to know." Arai couldn't help but feel a bit insulted. "But I still don't trust you. Where's your pack?"

"Gone," he answered, "I told them I would catch up with them later."

Arai narrowed her eyes. She still didn't quite believe him.

"I swear," he paused, thinking intently for a moment, "I swear on my mate's life— and I love my mate more than anything— that my pack is nowhere near here."

She glared at him a few seconds longer. "Very well," she relented, wading through the water, towards his feet, "I'll help you get out." Arai began nibbling on one of the vines tangled around his ankle. As she made her way around his leg, she carefully unwound each strand of foliage, one by one.

Upon feeling that one of his legs was free, the longtail tried walking but forgot that his other leg was still tied up. He lost his balance, causing a loud splash as he fell into the water.

"Be quiet, will you?" Arai reprimanded, furrowing her brows, "You keep making all that noise and the fast biters will hear you, if they haven't already."

"Hm?" He cocked his head and gave her a confused look. "What fast biters?" He hopped up on top of the log with his one free foot.

"Come back down here!" Arai cried out, pulling on the vines, "They'll see you for sure up there!"

He looked out towards the tall grass. He thought he saw something brown lurking within the cover of the tall blades and stuck his head out further, squinting. Then, in a flash, he saw the glaring yellow eyes of another dinosaur flick open. The dinosaur's pupils turned into narrow slits, followed by a low growl.

"Hey, there's a fast biter out there!" He exclaimed.

"Quiet! Does it see you?"

"No." He paused, and stared a moment longer. The fast biter slowly began inching towards the log. "I mean yes! Yes, it's coming!"

"Alright, just stand perfectly still." She whispered, "Don't move a muscle."

"Everything's fine," The longtail said weakly, his voice indicating that he didn't quite believe the words that escaped his mouth, "Oh, _great_ _circle_ _of_ _life_— it's headed right towards us!" His eyes roamed the area, catching a glimpse of the green grass a little ways away. A green fast biter opened it's eyes and bared it's teeth. "There's another one...!"

"Must be a pack," Arai mused under her breath, "But don't panic! Are they moving fast or slow?"

The grass began to rustle, and the longtail flinched. "Slow— no, medium. Actually, make that fast. Very fast— I have to go now!" He tried to run, but ended up even more tangled in the vines than he already was.

Arai jumped and bit through the vine that the panicked longtail was struggling against. He went flying backwards, but caught himself. Even then, he continued stumbling. "I'm sorry, I have to go!"

Arai yanked on a piece of vine, forcing him down to the ground. "You're not going anywhere. Don't make so many sudden movements— you'll attract their attention."

"What— What do you mean _attract_," he blubbered, "We've already _got_ their attention!"

"I know, but right now they're just watching us. Biding their time until they find the opportunity to pounce. If you panic, they'll panic too. Then, they'll attack because they don't want us to get away, so you have to stay calm. Understand?"

The longtail gulped. "I-I understand."

If only that were enough. Unseen by either of them, a grayish blue fast biter was slowly creeping up behind them. She felt the dirt beneath her claws, balancing herself on her knees as she approached them, virtually silent.

Meanwhile, Arai was biting through the last of the vines. "Would you hold still? Relax. You'll do neither of us any good by panicking."

"I'm too young to die...!" The longtail lamented, "Let's just get out of here, maybe we can outrun them!"

"You do realize they're called fast biters for a reason?" She nipped at one last thread, slowly. "Remember, once you're free I want you to stay calm. Don't move. They won't move as long as you don't."

"I make n-no promises," He replied, producing a soft whimper.

The final vine came lose, and the longtail wriggled free. He had barely taken a single step forward when he suddenly found himself being tackled to the ground, feeling the taste of dirty water in his mouth.

"AH!" Arai squeaked as she jumped backwards, hardly having any time to react as a grayish blue blur suddenly attacked the other dinosaur. There was an abrupt, powerful splash as water went everywhere. Arai ran behind a rock, hyperventilating as she dove for cover.

Mostly safe behind her rock, for the moment, she could hear the sound of strained grunts and splashing. Terrified, yet worried for the safety of the dinosaur she'd just met, Arai peeked her head out from the corner.

The fast biter had him pinned, her claws digging into his scales as he flailed his legs desperately, but to no avail. The larger predator had a sinister grin on her face, baring her lethal canines. "Are you going to try to run away? _Can_ you run away?" She snarled, plainly mocking her prey, "...I didn't think so."

The longtail sounded like he was struggling to breathe, soft choking sounds escaping his throat. Arai's eyes were as wide as a full night circle while she stood there, not knowing what to do. Or at least, that was what she thought. Deep in her heart, she knew what she could do, but whether or not she had the courage to actually go through with it was a different story.

What was she thinking? She could run off with her medicine right now and— the realization hit her like a ton of rocks. Frantically, she searched herself. She didn't have Dena's medicine! She felt physically sick as she continued searching, telling herself over and over that she had to have it, and that she couldn't have lost it!

Her frantic searching was then promptly interrupted by the dread filled sound of a ferocious roar. Arai gasped again, looking up to see the green fast biter leaping towards her. Arai ducked and made a run for it, causing the fast biter to crash face first into the cold, hard stone. The smalljaw winced, thinking to herself about how much that had to have hurt.

Having noticed his pack mate slumped against the stone in the pond, the brown fast biter, who had lurked in the grass until now, made a mad dash for the fast biter. Just as he began gaining on her and just as Arai began to think that it was all over, the longtail, summoning all his willpower and with a huge grunt of effort, managed to throw his opponent off his back.

The brown biter grunted in surprise as he saw his other pack mate flying towards him. Unfortunately, he didn't have much time to think or act before their bodies collided in a messy, watery torrent.

A huge wave suddenly and quickly overpowered Arai, and she found herself underwater. Dazed and surprised, she didn't quite realize the fact after she opened her eyes. When she began inhaling water, she immediately closed her mouth and held her breath.

The ripples carried her involuntarily across the pond, thrashing her tiny body against various surfaces as the larger creatures continued their battle, completely oblivious to the battle the smalljaw was fighting.

Turbulent waves surged across the surface of the pond. Arai continuously flailed her legs, trying to find solid ground. For her, these seemingly minuscule ripples of water were like a tidal storm, attacking relentlessly without any visible signs of cessation. Then, as quickly as they came, they stopped. Even the fast biters seemed to stand still as a warbled roar echoed across the surface of the water. Not even a moment later, they were gone, running like the wind.

A moment of eerie silence passed, and Arai heaved herself up onto a rock near the bank of the pond. Her scales dripping with icy water, she drew in a shuddering breath. Not because of the cold; she hardly felt it, but because she remembered that she'd lost the medicine— the medicine that her daughter needed to get better.

Arai inhaled, bringing her knees towards her chest. She then inhaled again, but didn't exhale. She felt like she couldn't breathe, like there was a tremendous pressure on her chest, pushing against it and threatening to crush her lungs. Her eyes began to feel warm as her vision clouded over, and she felt something damp on her cheek. She was crying. Again.

She took a deep breath, trying to stabilize her emotions, but instead ended up letting out a loud sob and crying even harder. It was at that point that Arai simply gave up, and she buried her face in her hands as the painful, spine crunching sobs hit her with full force.

However, she was so caught up, so engulfed in wallowing in her own self pity, that she didn't even hear the soft sloshing of a pair of legs wading through the water. When she did look up to wipe her face with the back of her hand, by pure chance, she heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, hey— I'm alright! There's no need to cry. I'm okay, see?"

Arai glanced from the corner of her eye and saw it was only the longtail from earlier. She went back to weeping. "That's not the reason I'm crying," she choked out, "I— I lost Dena's medicine."

The longtail crinkled his nose, not quite knowing what the other was referring to. Still, she'd helped him a great deal and it saddened him to see her in such a bad way. Alas, he was never the type to know what to say to comfort someone, especially in such a delicate situation.

Arai sniffled, her eyes moist and glossed over with her tears. "What was I _thinking_? I can't do this all by myself! I'm only one dinosaur, I— I should have just gone straight home...why am I so stubborn and thick headed? _Why_?" She seemed to be physically beating herself as she asked the question, as if she were furious with herself for not having any answers.

The longtail paused a moment. "Well, _I'm_ sure glad you stopped by."

"But I'm not," She sobbed, "I— I fought with my mate and ran out on him just to get that medicine for my daughter and now—" she sucked in a shuddering gasp, "Now I'm going to LOSE HER!" She buried her face in her knees and let out a most unbecoming scream of anguish.

The longtail lowered his head. He wasn't really hurt by her words, but his heart did ache for her. She seemed so lost and confused, like his own mate often did at times. "Why'd you run out on him though? It seems to me like that would just make matters worse."

"Because," Arai croaked, "He didn't care! He didn't care that we might lose our daughter! That bastard tried to stop me from going— but this isn't about him!"

"Well..." the longtail craned his head towards the left, eyes wandering towards the horizon, "This is just me, but I think he was trying to protect you."

Arai narrowed her eyes. "Protect me from what?"

"I don't know," the longtail shrugged, "You think I'm some sort of mind reader? But…my mate is exactly like you, that's why."

Arai's frown lifted a tad, and she looked up at the other dinosaur attentively.

"She's very stubborn," he continued, "She won't stop until she proves that she's right, and she's quite hotheaded, which can be very dangerous sometimes."

Arai's eyes flicked towards her reflection in the pond. She didn't like to admit it, but that was a spot on description of her, down to the point. She could understand how easily she became so overbearing. Especially to her mate. He did put up with a lot, that was for sure.

Her eyes suddenly widened. It wasn't as if he was blameless either! He was a pushover, and he never communicated his feelings to her. How was Arai supposed to know what he was feeling and thinking if he didn't tell her?

"Well," Arai resumed, wiping her tears, "Even if he _was_ worried and just trying to look out for me, he didn't tell me that. There's no way I can know what's in his heart if he doesn't tell me. I saw what I thought was there, and I acted on that."

"Maybe you should tell him that?" The longtail raised an inquiring brow. "I don't know— just a thought. It might help if you're honest...just saying."

"Maybe so," Arai resigned, crossing one leg over the other. "But that still doesn't solve my problem. I suppose I'll just have to go back tomorrow for the medicine...it's getting late."

The longtail smiled through his teeth. In that matter, he couldn't quite offer any assistance. He needed to be getting home soon before his alpha sent out a search party looking for his sorry tail. His mate wouldn't be happy. As he looked towards the sky to see how low the bright circle had fallen, he felt something brushing against his foot. He froze; it was wet, and...fuzzy?

He lifted his foot out of the water, bringing it close to his snout. Draped over his foot was a s bundle of soggy flowers, covered in white fuzz. It was then that a thought occurred to him. "Say," he began, "About that medicine...is it a flower? And is it white?"

"Yes," Arai answered with a nod, although her voice still sounded dejected, "It also has a lot of fuzz on the top. Why?"

The longtail didn't miss a beat as he held out his foot towards her, grinning as he watched every emotion cross over her face. Confusion, shock, realization, and then complete and utter ecstasy.

Arai's hands flew to her cheeks as she smiled a smile that was almost too large for her face. "Dena's medicine! You found it!"

"I did?" He paused, and then nodded, "I did! Of course, I just couldn't stand to see you so sad. I had to find it for you." He flashed a smile, aiming for triumph and bravado, but instead ending up looking stiff and awkward. It wasn't until then that he finally remembered his manners. "Uh...I'm Anu."

Arai uncrossed her legs and hugged the flowers to her chest, holding onto them as if she physically could not let go. "Oh, thank you— thank you so much!" She began to rise, still looking towards him. "I'm Arai. Thanks again! I have to go home now."

As she sauntered towards the tall grass, Anu trailed after her. "Oh...alright. Where's home?"

"In the forest," Arai replied, "In a cave. It's quite small, so it's easy to miss."

"Well...do you like me? I mean, will I ever see you again?" Anu stumbled forward, tripping over a stone and nearly falling to the ground.

"Careful now," Arai warned, "And maybe you will, who knows? I think that would be nice…but I have to go home now. Goodbye."

"Do you want me to walk you home? I mean, you never know what creatures will be lurking there in the dark— I can protect you!"

"Isn't your pack waiting for you? And I'll be just fine, thank you. This isn't the first time I've gone home alone in the dark."

"Are you sure? I mean, two heads are better than one!"

"Anu, I have got to go home."

Anu sighed heavily. "Fine, fine. I'll see you around then. So long."

"See you around. Take care now." Arai turned away and disappeared into the tall grass. She scurried nimbly from one part of the hill to the other, while Anu vanished into the dim cover of the dusk, heading straight for the distant mountains.

* * *

The forest was shrouded in darkness. Inside the cave, Mako was pacing across the dirt floor. He looked a bit bothered, his fists clenched tightly. Cori watched as he moved from corner to corner, more amused at his determination than anything.

At last, he came to a stop. He turned around. "Maybe I should go look for mom."

Cori stood up from the patch of grass where she had been seated, alarmed by her brother's statement. "I don't think so, Mako."

It didn't matter what either of them thought, for Arai walked in at that very moment. She clutched a bundle of flowers towards her chest. She hurried across the room, using her teeth to strip the flower of it's petals, allowing them to fall inside a moist tree star. As she worked, she spoke.

"Children, what are you still doing up? You both should have been asleep by now."

"It was Mako's idea," Cori was quick to say, "He wanted to stay up and wait for you."

Mako scowled at his sister, clenching his jaw to keep his anger from physically manifesting itself.

"Well I'm home, so there's no need to wait for me anymore. Now both of you, off to bed. I won't tell you again." She picked up the tree star, careful not to spill any of the water as she walked right past Cori and Mako, entering a separate section of the cave.

* * *

The male smalljaw's eyes focused on the round, crystal clear dew drops lining the vegetation crawling up the walls of the cave. Each drop sparkled like the stars in the night sky. Sena remembered how much his mate loved stars, as much as she questioned everything about them— where did they come from? Why did they only show up at night? What purpose did they serve? She had always been that way; questioning anything and everything. He had to admit it kept him sane, and kept him from delving too deep into his fantasies of the perfect world he often envisioned.

Directly across from him, Sena's daughter lay in a broken bed of grass and leaves. Her scales had begun to flake and peel off of her deathly pale body, her chest slowly rising and falling as she drew in difficult, rasping breaths. As he gave a sigh, he released the tension he didn't even know he was holding. He regretted what he'd said earlier, he regretted every word and nothing anyone could say or do could help him feel better about it. Well, there was someone— the only person that he wanted to talk to right now, but she wasn't here.

Behind him, he could hear faint footsteps, as light as gentle droplets of sky water falling down slowly, one by one. He recognized them. Even if he were blind or deaf, he would know who it was. Almost hesitantly, he swiveled around, and saw Arai standing there, a flood of warm amber pouring in behind her.

Sena's body froze up, and he found himself just standing there, not saying anything…just staring at her until he finally summoned the strength to speak. "…Arai? You're back— are you alright? You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"I'm fine," Arai answered stiffly, fingers gripping the tree star in her hands, "Don't worry about me. I...I got Dena's medicine." She motioned towards her sickly daughter.

"Oh. Um...alright." Sena stepped aside, giving Arai some room to walk over to the other dinosaur.

Arai sat herself down beside her daughter's bed, setting the tree star down on the ground in between them. As she laid her eyes on her daughter, she smiled sweetly and gently nudged her awake.

Dena began to stir slowly, and Arai slowly pushed the tree star towards her. Dena took a few sips, and then laid back down to rest. Arai touched her snout to her daughter's and then got up, leaving her to sleep some more.

When he saw her get up and walk in his direction, Sena tensed up once more. Don't just let her leave. Say something! Thinking quickly, he moved over in front of her, effectively blocking her way out.

Arai stopped in her tracks, looking up at her mate, who seemed to be attempting to prevent her from leaving. She glared at him, giving him a look that made it look as if she could burn a hole through his head.

Sena had seen that look before, but he stood his ground. "Arai, before you say anything— just hear me out."

She scoffed. "Haven't I done enough of that already?"

"Yes, you have, but— look, just listen to me. I'm sorry for what I said, for making you feel like your were worrying over nothing. I...I was just worried about you. I didn't want to lose you."

"You should have just said that," Arai said in a considerably softer tone, "I would have understood, but you didn't say anything. You just made it seem like you couldn't care less."

"I'm sorry," he sighed, stepping away from the entrance, "I got scared. I didn't know what to do, I wanted Dena to get the medicine but at the same time I didn't want you getting hurt. I'm not like you, I don't look my fear in the eye and spit in it's face. I can't help being such a coward."

Arai raised a brow, incredulous. "Who said I wasn't scared? I'm scared all the time, but the difference between you and I is that I don't run away from my problems. But, you know— I was pretty scared today."

A rather awkward silence briefly loomed over them, until Arai quickly broke it. Still, it felt like the both of them would be standing there in silence forever.

"But I'm not sorry for what I said earlier, because I meant every word. It really hurts when I'm just trying to keep it realistic and you strike me down because you want to stick to your ideals of some perfect world that doesn't even exist...I just want you to believe in me, like I believe in you."

"I do believe in you," Sena explained, cradling both sides of her face with his hands, eyes twinkling, "It's just that when I get scared, my worry overrides everything else. All I can think is that something bad is going to happen if we do something, so I tell myself that everything will be alright if we do nothing." He looked at his mate, who looked as if she could punch him and hug him all at once, "I know that it's not right or healthy, and I promise I'll do better. Please, Arai...give me another chance. I'll prove that I'm worthy of you, just please...forgive me."

Arai has to hold back a chuckle at how he begged; it was quite amusing, really. Yet, he was so sincere. Arai could tell by looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth, and that he really wanted nothing more than her forgiveness. That was what swayed her over, and made her fall in love with him in the first place. He had always made her feel so, so special, like nothing else in the world mattered.

"Of course I forgive you," she chuckled, nuzzling the tip of his snout with her own, "I might have been angry before, but I feel better now that we've gotten everything out into the open. But I will hold you up to that promise you made just now— don't think I won't."

Sena giggled, bringing a hand to his mouth. "And I'll try my very best to keep that promise," he said through bursts of giggles, which eventually dissipated and dissolved into soft sighs, "I love you, Arai. I really do."

"I know," Arai replied cooly, her vibrant eyes beaming with joy, "I love you too."

Unbeknownst to either of them, Cori and Mako stood at the entrance, watching as their parents reconciled. Cori grinned from ear to ear at the sight of them nuzzling each other, while Mako cringed in disgust. Just then, Mako seemed to have an idea; a rather devious idea that brought a sinister grin to his face.

Cori recognized that grin, and knew that it was nothing but bad news. She ran after her brother as he ran inside, and placed one foot firmly on his tail. He fell over onto his stomach, crying out in pain. "OW!"

And just like that, the blissful moment was ruined. Arai and Sena both simultaneously pulled away from each other, turning their heads towards the source of the noise. Sena turned away and hid his face in embarrassment, humiliated that he'd been caught acting all mushy around the children. Arai, on the other hand, seemed a bit more miffed. She stepped forward, and placed her hands on her hips.

"I thought I told you two to go to bed," she said in a scolding tone, "Didn't I?" She eyed the both of them, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Cori opened her mouth, but Arai looked at her in a way they told her to save her breath, she already knew exactly what she was going to say. She closed her mouth, but then thought of the perfect rescue.

"How is Dena, mom?" She inquired innocently, folding her hands behind her back, "Is the medicine working?"

"Dena will be fine," Arai answered bluntly.

"So she's not going to die?" Mako asked, already knowing that would earn him a kick in the stomach from his sister. But surprisingly, when he looked up, Cori's face was a bit saddened. Apparently, that same notion had been on her mind too.

"No, sweetheart," Sena cut in, "She's just very sick."

"When will she get better?"

"Soon." Arai looked back towards her youngest daughter, slumbering peacefully, "I hope." Her voice trailed off, and she slowly made her way to her daughter's bed. The rest of her family followed her, one by one.

Sena touched her snout to his, a gesture that Arai deeply appreciated. She returned the action, while Mako awkwardly stood next to her. She opened up her arm and held her son close, opening up the other as her daughter slithered in between them. They all stood there in a peaceful silence, listening to the faint breeze howl through the air outside. Then, in the quiet of the nighttime, Arai whispered softly.

"Off to bed with you now."

* * *

**Prompt response for the month of January, and right in time too! But phew, has it been a hot minute since the last time I wrote something. Honestly the main culprits are a lack of motivation and the fact that my real life has gotten so busy and hectic that I haven't been left with much time to actually sit down and write something. But this is my attempt at getting back into it, so cut me some slack lol. These** **characters are actually from my other story Across The Seasons, but there's no real spoilers here. Just some backstory for some supporting characters. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy reading!**


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